13th BFNL club admitted

Monday night was a historic night for the Ballarat Football Netball League (BFNL), as the competition welcomed its 13th affiliate club.

After four years of planning, the Woady Yaloak Football Netball Club became the 13th club member of the BFNL on Monday 28 November, and will play its first match in the junior competition next year.

The club has previously played in the BFL’s Western Bulldogs Under 9s competition and NetSetGO, in anticipation of applying for BFNL membership.

With the support of AFL Victoria, the BFNL, and Golden Plains Shire, the club aims to cater for the growth of junior football and netball across the region.

After a COVID-mandated hiatus, junior participation is thankfully on the rise once more.

Woady Yaloak’s inclusion in the League will help meet the growing demand from families in the Smythesdale and Haddon areas, towards the Ballarat West growth corridor.

BFNL Chair Adrian Bettio congratulated the Woady Yaloak community on gaining membership.

“It’s fantastic to have Woady Yaloak formally a member of the league after a lot of work to get to this point. Congratulations to Adam [Liversage] and Mark [Ashmore], and all the volunteers and families that will be part of the league moving forward,” he said.

The BFNL junior competition will kick off on 16 April 2023, with the Woady Warriors being one of ten clubs competing in the junior division.

The club will field four football teams and two netball teams in 2023.